GB NEWS and Nigel Farage have been accused of an “all time low” with “totally unacceptable” coverage of a TikTok video showing people in a small boat.
The Indian Council of Scotland and the United Kingdom has said it has lodged a complaint with the broadcaster after it displayed the headline “WTF…Sikh-ing Asylum” on the screen, before Farage appeared to make fun of a video of people crossing what GB News claimed was the English Channel.
Former Ukip leader Farage said on the channel: “This TikTok appeared this morning and yes, it’s a small boat crossing the English Channel.
“You’ve been used in the past to the Albanians, this is a boat full of Sikhs. Yes, they’re all coming from India. What a good day out they’re having.
“Basically, it doesn’t matter where you come from in the world, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve got a legitimate claim to be a genuine refugee or not, it’s come on down, cross the English Channel, pay a trafficker and you will be allowed to stay.
“The whole thing is beyond a joke and even if they were to get the economy right, that issue alone could cost them the next general election.”
The clip was shared by the Indian Council on Facebook with the group accusing GB News of a “racial slur” against Sikhs.
President Neil Lal said he felt Farage and GB should give a public apology.
He told The National: “I was shocked and appalled and the [Sikh] community are disgusted and very upset.
“The Sikh community are law-abiding citizens in this country and I’m just very disappointed so we’ve sent a letter to GB News.
“We think Nigel Farage should make a public apology too as well as GB News because it’s not nice and you can’t generalise a community, a faith or culture in this way.
“This is an all time low for GB News.”
GB News has been contacted for comment.
